Thou shalt not display the Ten Commandments at a public school?

Is displaying the Ten Commandments alongside copies of the Declaration of Independence, the Star-Spangled Banner, Magna Carta and other documents at a Virginia public high school an unconstitutional government endorsement of religion? Or is it part of an educational exhibit of historic documents?

Those questions are at the heart of a long-simmering legal fight in a small Appalachian Mountains county.

The Ten Commandments and a copy of the U.S. Constitution were on display at Narrows High School for more than a decade. But the commandments were removed after the Wisconsin-based Freedom from Religion Foundation, acting on behalf of an unnamed resident, objected in late 2010 to the Giles County school board that the display violated the constitutional requirement for separation of church and state.

That set off community protests. About 200 students walked out of class last year. Pro-commandment lawn signs popped up around town, folks wore T-shirts bearing the commandments and packed school board meetings demanding them back. In response, the commandments were put back up with other historic documents on a hallway wall near the school's trophy case — and a lawsuit followed.

Continue reading at www.latimes.com

« Previous Article

Posting Policy

We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, vulgarity, profanity, all caps, or discourteous behavior. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain a courteous and useful public environment where we can engage in reasonable discourse. Read more.

Chris

"Thou shalt have no other god but me" points to the existence of a single unifying God and religion but the religious clearly do not conform to this mantra – so there clearly are no gods and this sign does not belong.
- KnowTheTruthToday
  
  Sounds as if taking it out of the school multiplied the signs in the community many times – would you like to tell them they can't display those?
- KnowTheTruthToday
  
  You guys say there is no God – but He sure does bother you doesn't He?
  - http://rationalresponses.blogspot.com/ Jeff Dixon
    
    Not really. It is the people who claim to believe in him that cause actual problems. Mythical gods do not do anything that could bother anyone.
    - keyboardshark
      
      Jeff says: "Mythical gods do not do anything that could bother anyone."
      
      True, but real gods, or should I say, the Real God of the Bible, does bother unbelievers, because He exposes mankind's sinful condition that violates His laws, and unregenerate man does not want to give up his sin or have anyone place restraints on his life,
      - Dave
        
        A mend brother
    - Evermyrtle
      
      You say, that we who believe in GOD and/or JESUS CHRIST, are causing problems!! How so? Why does it concern you so much that Christians believe in the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY AND HIS SON JESUS CHRIST? He gave you the right to believe as your please and HE give us the right to believe as we wish. He did not give you the right and HE did not give us the right, to rule how the other side believes. Please try again, to explain your problem to us.
Evermyrtle

It is beyond my understanding, that GOD made this universe and gave the Commandments which HE gave us, who HE made also, which HE expected us to live by and we refuse to accept them. And not only that, do not want where they can be read by anyone else. Do they or do they not know that they are written in the hearts of all who love HIM?. Would they like to erase them from our hearts? Oh yes, they would but that won't happen and we will teach them to our children.

I believe this is a fight directed and led by Satan against GOD. HIS WORD tells us that these evils will come in the "end days." GOD will send HIS SON, to take all of HIS people away from the earth before HE finishes HIS WORK here.

John 14:15 If yo u love me keep my commandments.

Today is the Sabbath Day: Ex. 20:8 Remember the Sabbath day to keep it Holy.

Another verse: Sabbath was made for man not man for the Sabbath
- http://rationalresponses.blogspot.com/ Jeff Dixon
  
  Myrtle, it may be beyond your understanding, but that does not mean it is beyond the understanding of others.
  - Evermyrtle
    
    Jeff Dixon, all that I know about you, is from your comments, therefore I cannot make any kind of judgment about you, but here area couple of scriptures that fit this subject to a T.
    
    Rev. 22:18. For I testify unto every man that hears the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these thing , GOD will add unto him the plague that are written n this book;
    
    19. And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, GOD shall take away HIS part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
    
    Of course there are Ten commandments and whoever deems to take any of them out, will pay for it as handed down by GOD. He won't allow HIS WORD to be altered.
    - Dave
      
      WELL SAID
      - Evermytle
        
        Thanks!!
Eagle

If folks would just get together in this country and stand up to these groups, we could put a stop to this kind of garbage. These groups have their pet judges in their pocket. The answer is, Majority Rule, like this country was founded on. You remember the woman that was responsible for getting School Prayer thrown out. One Person, it affected every kid since then that has gone to school. And what happened to this woman? Her own son killed her and if I remember right, he buried her under the Chicken Coop. Whats this say about people that do not have God in their lives. Stand tall folks, and put these people out of business.
- Steve03
  
  Majority rule says gay marriage is acceptable, and getting more so every day. And do you really think only atheists murder their kin?
  - keyboardshark
    
    Steve03 says: "Majority rule says gay marriage is acceptable, and getting more so every day."
    
    Maybe yes, maybe no, but God, who is a super-majority of One since He established the marriage relationship, says that marriage is only to be between one man and one woman, till death do them part. There is no provision in the Bible whatsoever for 'gay' marriage or any other type of marital arrangement other than one man/one woman that can be considered legitimate
    - Evermyrtle
      
      Steveo3 ,Where did you get your count from?? The records that I have seen, deny this. All Christians, true Christians are against it because the WORD OF GOD denounces it in so many places. There are many who are not Christian who also say it is disgusting.
  - Dave
    
    STEVE03 Where are you geting your stats on majority. What a fanticy your in.
Evermyrtle

It is the Federal Judges we need to get rid of. They rule according to what they want and ignore what the people want, they do not listen to what the majority of the people are saying!.
Winston

Isn't it time for lackadaisical believers to finally take a firm stand on earth against the evil in this government and take it back? Yes, we are fighting a spiritual battle in high places but here on earth, Satan's minions are also fighting against us and our beliefs and practices and we MUST be Christian Soldiers, strong and sure against this enemy of ours…otherwise, this socialist anti-Christian, anti-God, anti-Israle, pro-Islamic government will allow Islam to become rulers of America…and for certain they will destroy us.
- msjallen
  
  We are actually destroying ourselves from within since so many have rejected God's way for their lives taught in His Word. Our thoughts reflect our actions and when our actions deny God's way for our lives evil thoughts move in and the influence of Islam or socia-lism or any other ism will take over.
  Isaiah 5:20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil, that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter.
msjallen

There is a difference between the custom laws of a people group, the Levitical Laws of sacrifice, and the Mosaic Laws (Ten Commandments). The custom laws are only directed to the particular people group. All of the Levitical Laws became unnecessary when each one was fulfilled through the ultimate sacrifice of Christ on the cross. According to the Apostle Paul the Mosaic Law is still in effect since they help the lost to know that they have sinned. How would one know he or she is a sinner unless God reveals what sin is. The Mosaic Law only reveals sin. Jesus did not come to do away with the Ten Commandments; He only fulfilled them by becoming a remedy for the sin revealed. The problem with immature Christians is that they have a tendency of misquoting and misusing Scripture to defend their own life style or to be accepted with the political correct "in crowd." Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
aceituna

Apparently the ones who want to throw out the commandments in this "historical display" are afraid of them and what they reveal about people in general. I agree with msjallen about the purpose of the commandments. What these prople are afraid of, though they may not realize it, is that the power of The Holy Spirit to convert people can use these commandments to bring sinners to repentence and to their Savior. That is what these people instinctivily do not want.
- KnowTheTruthToday
  
  The attitude of this bunch is proof that there is something supernatural about the word of God – they stand and say there is no God – but he sure does bother them for some reason.
Steve03

Posting the Ten Commandments is inescapably a sectarian exercise. The Ten Commandments are not now and never have been binding on those outside the Jewish and Christian faiths. Only the laws of the Noahide Covenant (Genesis 9) are binding on all humans.
To post Exodus 20:2-17 or Deuteronomy 5:6-21 without numbering the commandments is to post a religious text as such and no more permissible than to post, say, Qur'an 4:157-158, Callimachus' Hymn to Zeus, or Romans 13:1-10.
To number the Commandments, as these signs inevitably do, makes the inscription even more of a sectarian statement, because Jews, Lutherans and Roman Catholics, and Orthodox and other Protestants all number them differently. For Baptists, "thou shalt not murder" is #6, but it's #5 to Lutherans. And, of course, the poster must decide for the reader whether it's "murder" or "killing" that's being prohibited, further fracturing the faithful the inscription was meant to unite.
- Dave
  
  STEVE STEVE, SO SMALL MINDED,
  GROW UP!! Smarten up and get educated!!
Mirek Lalas

Whether God exists or not, the Ten Commandments do exist. To some, God wrote them, and to others, people did. Yet, they are a historical document that can and should be displayed as part of legal history. Militant atheists have a silly tendency of forgetting reason in the name of reason: because they don't believe God exists, they want to argue that all things related to God should be wiped out. Wake up, people – even if God does not exist, those believing in him do – with their documents, social norms, civilizations. Denying facts and history is rather irrational – wouldn't all rationalists agree?
Dennis

So 1 child and their parents did this followed by hundreds if not thousands in defense? and yet it wasnt over turned? Why? If 1 complains against but thousands for in essence doing the same thing why then are they ignored? Btw if hanging these up on a wall implies government enforcement then it goes anything else would too right? What a bunch of bunk as usual.
keyboardshark

The ACLU is so zealous in their crusade to eliminate displays of the Ten Commandments that they are now making the argument that it is only legal if unbelievers endorse it, even in a display that meets the court-approved definition. Here is another perspective on the case:

"In a rather bizarre case, the American Civil Liberties Union has filed suit to stop the displaying of the Ten Commandments on the grounds that one of the school board members who voted for it admitted to being a Christian.

The case of Doe v School Board of Giles County resulted in the removal of the Ten Commandment display which in turned caused a huge uproar from the local community. In reaction to the lawsuit, one private citizen from the area funded a multi-document display that was in accordance with federal court rulings.

When presented with the display by the citizen and being assured that it was funded 100% by private money and that it met the judicial rulings for legal displaying of historical documents upon which American law was established, the Giles County School Board voted to accept the gift and have it displayed at Narrows High School. After the vote, school board member Joseph Gollehon was asked if he voted for the display because he was a Christian.

Following this admission by Gollehon, the ACLU filed suit to have the Ten Commandments removed from the display on the grounds that one of the school board members who voted for it (Gellehon) was a Christian. The suit is not denying that the Ten Commandments can be taught or that they had an integral role in America’s legal foundations, but they are objecting that they are being displayed in a location where students can actually see them. And they blame it on the admission of one board member that approved it partially because he was a Christian."
http://godfatherpolitics.com/5060/aclu-10-command…

The Giles County School Board is fighting the lawsuit with the help of the Liberty Counsel. Founder and chairman of the Liberty Counsel Matt Staver commented about the case saying,

“The ACLU has done everything it could to run from the facts and the laws that control this case. The Foundations of American Law and Government display has been upheld by multiple federal courts of appeal. It is clearly appropriate to include the Ten Commandments in a display on law, because there is no dispute that they helped shape American law and government.”
- aceituna
  
  They fear the power of the Holy Spirit!
http://www.sargee5.blogspot.com The Watchman

Atheists and Homosexuals and those that champion their cause are fulfilling Biblical prophesy and they don't even realize it. It is those non-believers who assume that believers are in someway misguided, when it is themselves who are misguided. Arguing with an Atheist, especially Jeff Dixon, is like arguing with a box of rocks. As much as I'd like to see everyone saved, and everyone go to heaven, some will just not make it. Atheists do not believe, so they have no hope. Christians need to spend more time with those who can be saved, and less time listening to or reading what an Atheist has to say. An Atheist's words are empty and without morality. Arguing with them just serves to give them recognition and credence to their ideas. It is their intention to capture your attention, it's how Satan works. Don the Whole Armor of God, resist the Jeff Dixons of the world. Rebuke them in the name of Jesus Christ, and move on to those who are worthy.
bighoss

Those who posted this display would have been less likely to encounter legal challenge if they had included some other documents with overt religious content. By apparently exclusively posting Judeo-Christian materials to recognize the religious element of laws and law-making, they conferred upon the 10 Commandments an exclusively and endorsement that is contrary to the First Amendment. It is patently obvious that this was their intent and the 10 Commandments, in the context presented, will be found unconstitutional.